


(at least out loud) I won't say I'm in love

by acetheticallyy (jacquesdernier)



Series: singin' in the rain (or, more appropriately, the shower) [2]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Relationships, Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-02 07:44:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4052005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacquesdernier/pseuds/acetheticallyy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gene and Babe have been dating for a while, and yet the novelty of shower duets has not worn off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(at least out loud) I won't say I'm in love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NightingalesAndLions](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightingalesAndLions/gifts).



> 1\. The title of this fic is, yes, shamelessly stolen from hercules bc I just couldn't help myself
> 
> 2\. Toyeluz is just in the background and you won't really catch it if you haven't read part one of the series (that being said you don't really need to read part one to catch what's going on in this part but it is recommended)
> 
> 3\. Written in one go at 3am and edited the day after so please point out any stupid mistakes I've made
> 
> 4\. Gifted to Maashellee for being so enthusiastic about a possible sequel and inspirational credit to Gilove2dance for giving me the beautiful image of Babe trying to hit the high notes in defying gravity
> 
> As always, no disrespect is meant from this fic and everything written here is based purely off of the actors' portrayals in the miniseries

One would think that after three months of living in the same apartment, the novelty of singing Broadway duets would have worn off. The exact opposite was true for Eugene Roe and Babe Heffron. No matter what their days had been like, whenever they were both home, they sang duets together when they were in the shower.

Babe was currently in the middle of trying to hit a very intense high note in _Defying Gravity_ when there was a pounding on the bathroom door, followed by the sound of the door itself creaking as it swung open.

"Look, Edward, I love ya, but you gotta stop trying to sing that song, you're gonna hurt yourself." There was a slight pause and for a second all he heard was the sound of running water and the gentle tap of something hitting the edge of the sink. "And Luz is threatening to call the police again."

"I oughta call the cops on _him_ , the noises that come outta that apartment sometimes," Babe replied with a snort. "Buncha goddamn animals." He did, however, decide to refrain from trying to hit the high note until a later date, preferrably when he was properly warmed up and in more appreciative company.

Feeling both completely unashamed and a little proud of his performance, but also not up for thinking of something else to sing, Babe finally stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel snugly around his waist.

Eugene, standing at the sink with razor in hand for his "every-other-night"ly shave, caught Babe's eye in the mirror. "Maybe next time try something with a little less soprano."

"Aw, come on, you love it." Babe sidled up next to him, placing a hand on the small of his back while he opened the medicine cabinet to retrieve the toothpaste. "You gotta admit, it's pretty impressive." Gene gave him a look that said he was trying to decide if he should kiss him or simply allow Luz to call the police on him next time. Babe figured he was leaning more towards he former, if the slight quirk of his lips was anything to go by.

In the seven months, two weeks, and four days since the two of them had started dating (not that Babe was counting or anything), Gene never had been one who did much in the way of showing his affection outright. Somewhere around their third or fourth date, Babe realized that this was just the way he was, and that it had nothing to do with him or the relationship itself. He had since then learned to seek out the small, unspoken declarations of love where he knew they were hidden.

The first one was obvious. Whenever Babe started a duet in the shower and Gene picked up the next line, Babe knew that even though they were pre-written lines that were composed for a completely different set of people, there was another sort of message layered underneath them. He could always count on Eugene to be there. And, as Luz would have you know, it took a special type of person to put up with Babe's singing voice, and a whole different being entirely to even begin to think of harmonizing with it.

Other things were less noticeable. Like the soft brush of his fingertips over Babe's wrist when they walked alongside each other on the sidewalk. Or the way he always had a fresh, hot cup of coffee waiting on the kitchen counter just as Babe was getting out of bed, because he knew how long it took Babe to get properly woken up in the morning.

Leaving a post-it note that said "good morning" or "stay safe today" or "there's pizza in the microwave" when he was called into work while Babe wasn't at home, or chasing Babe down the street for two blocks because he yet again forgot to take his keys as he set off for work were things that could easily be overlooked and taken for granted. But not to Babe. To him, each one of these small, seemingly insignificant actions was a reassurance that he was loved. Where Eugene Roe was concerned, a gesture as simple as making sure he had his umbrella when it looked like there was a possibility it rain might as well have been a dozen red roses and a candle-lit dinner.

(Coincidentally, they had had a candle-lit dinner once. Gene had blushed and fumbled over his words like a third grader talking to his crush for the first time. It was adorable.)

There were other times when it was almost impossible to find the hidden affection that motivated Eugene's actions. Times when his words were clipped and his jaw was tight as he warned Babe against doing something stupid; times when he came home from his shift at the ER, quiet and distracted as he ignored Babe's requests to tell him what had happened.

At times like those, it took quite a bit of searching to recognize it, but once he did it was very much apparent to Babe that Eugene only did these things because he was trying to protect him--because he cared about him and he didn't want to hurt him. Not with hospital horror stories and not by letting him walk the six blocks from work back to their apartment, in the dark, alone.

"Heffron, what the hell are you starin' at?"

Babe blinked and noticed Gene running a towel over his face, wiping away the excess shaving cream that was there. It came to Babe's attention that he was still standing behind Eugene wearing nothing but a towel, toothbrush dangling from the corner of his mouth like an idiot as he stared at Gene's reflection in the mirror.

He quickly rinsed out his mouth and wrapped his arms around Eugene from behind, ignoring the other's half-hearted shout of protest as he pressed himself close, no doubt getting water all over Eugene's sleep shirt. Gene settled further into the embrace when Babe nuzzled his face into his neck, pressing a light kiss to the skin there.

Babe could practically feel the range of emotions vibrating beneath Roe's skin. But because he just wasn't the type to voice those emotions so freely, all he said was "you're disgusting," the tone of his voice betraying the fondness he truly felt for how disgustingly sappy Babe actually was.

They stayed standing there for a minute, eyes closed, until Gene carefully extricated himself from the circle of Babe's arms and threw the pajamas sitting on the counter at the redhead's chest. "Put some clothes on, Edward. I ain't lettin' you in the bed if you come in wearin' a damp towel."

Babe did as he was told and emerged from the bathroom moments later to find Eugene sitting upright in bed, the lamp on the night table turned on and a book of some sort in hand. He knew from experience that trying to pry the book out of Gene's hands would not end in his favor and so he settled for sliding under the covers, scooting himself far enough down the mattress so that he could rest his head in the other man's lap. When he felt long, thin fingers carding through his hair, he sighed happily and his eyes slipped shut. Briefly, he recognized the soft sounds of Eugene humming under his breath before his breathing evened out and he fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke up, the sheets on the other side of the bed were cold and there was a small, white post-it note stuck to the pillow in the space next to his head. It was signed with a hyphen and a simple "er" in the bottom corner.

_Morning--coffee's ready in the kitchen_


End file.
